Cleaning up my closet
by shi-chan
Summary: Aoi's fic request - Mitsui falls for a girl that keeps on giving him the cold shoulder.


This is an answer to Aoi's fic request. Hope tis okay Aoi-san. ^___^; Mitsui's the star (cause' he's my favorite) Yaone Tastsumi is my OC.  
  
CLEANING UP MY CLOSET  
  
The sound of dribbling balls and the screeching of rubberized foot soles against clean floors echoed through out the room. Coach Anzai sat in his green folding chair, watching with studious eyes how his boys performed on the court. They were preparing themselves for their upcoming game with Ryonan and their practice effort tripled.  
  
Ayako called out a foul when Sakuragi clashed painfully in to Mitsui because he was too busy making faces at Rukawa who gave him his droopy eyed look. "Offensive charging!" Ayako called.  
  
"Ack!" Sakuragi called out baffled. Mitsui was on the floor, since his figure could not really measure up to the size of the red head. He was still shorter by a few inches after all.  
  
"Damnit! Watch where you're going! For once, why can't you just concentrate on the ball you're holding instead of Rukawa. If I did not know better, I'd think you two were a couple." Mitsui snapped, as he got up from his sitting position and rubbed his sore bum due to the painful impact.  
  
"What?" Sakuragi yelled, from shock and embarrassment. Rukawa had a hand covering his nose and red blood dripping from it. Everyone laughed. Mitsui and Sakuragi were now battling with the wisdom of their tongues.  
  
"Maa! They'll never change." Kogure shrugged to Ayako who merely sighed.  
  
The door opened a girl in a Shohoku uniform walked in. Ayako looked up and smiled, waving for the girl to approach her. "Yaone-chan!" The girl approached her, a folder in her hand which held several neatly stacked papers in them. "Done already?"  
  
The girl nodded. "Yes. I've double checked through them and there are no errors." Yaone handed the folder to Ayako who began to flip through it. "Well, that's that. I should be going."  
  
Kogure looked at the brief exchange between the two girls and could not help but wonder what bonded them together. Ayako piped up. "Oh let me introduce you! Yaone-chan this is Kogure Kiminobu, the vice captain. Sempai, this is Yaone Tatsumi, my fellow classmate."  
  
"Yo!" Yaone greeted and held her hand out. Kogure shook it with his trademark sweet smile.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Kogure said. Yaone's eyes scanned the gym and fell upon Mitsui and Sakuragi who were still bickering. A dark eyebrow arched at the sight. "Oh, that happens most of the time." Kogure assured her. She simply nodded.  
  
Yaone was about Ayako's height, and had an athletic body. It looked as if she played some sort of sport, when in truth she did not. She had long dark brown hair that she left in a pigtail. She wore glasses that forbid outsiders to get a clearer look of her black eyes. She wore a stud as earrings and a watch in her right hand. Instead of wearing black shoes like all girls wore in the school compound, she had a pair of converse skate shoes on, with her socks rolled down.  
  
"Well, I have to go. Nice meeting you." She smiled at Kogure. She took one last look at the bickering pair before turning to leave, her head shaking slightly. A loud thud caused her to turn and find that Sakuragi had tackled Mitsui to the ground. Mitsui fought back and pushed Sakuragi hard with all his strength.  
  
"Hey stop it you two!" Ayako yelled. Yaone stood with amazement as the two tackled each other. Everyone was beginning to panic. Akagi's cries went unnoticed and so did Kogure's begging.  
  
"That's it! You're finished!" Mitsui picked up the basketball that was beside his leg and flung it as hard as he can at Sakuragi's direction. Sakuragi dodged and missed the ball.  
  
A loud smack, followed by a light thud echoed in the gym. Everyone froze. Mitsui paled, Ayako's eyes bulged out and Kogure gasped.  
  
"Yaone-chan!" Ayako cried and rushed to the side of the fallen girl. "Yaone- chan!"  
  
Yaone sat up. Her glasses were a couple of feet away from her, shattered and beyond repair. The ball had hit her squarely on the side of her face, and now her lips were cut and the right side of her face was beginning to swell. It was painful and Yaone could not stop the tears from rolling down as she clutched her face.  
  
"Come Yaone-chan. I'll help you to the clinic." Ayako helped the girl up and disappeared out of the door and off to the clinic.  
  
"Now look at this you two!" Kogure said in a rather stern voice. "Because of your fighting, someone got hurt. Why can't you all just get along for once and stop fighting? We've got a match against Ryonan and still none of you cooperate with each other!"  
  
"He threw the ball Megane-kun." Sakuragi jerked a thumb at Mitsui's direction. "It's your fault Mitchy. You should go apologize to Yaone-san."  
  
"Right. That's it. Pack up you people and go home." Akagi announced. "Tomorrow, no more fights or you'll be bench warmers till the last game."  
  
The threat hit Mitsui's gut and he said nothing. He padded to the locker room and took a quick two-minute shower and changed back in to his blue school slacks and white polo shirt. He grabbed his gym bag and headed for the exit. Yaone's glasses had lain forgotten on the ground, so he gathered the remains and decided to check up on the girl. It began to rain as he approached the clinic. It looks like another hard downpour.  
  
Mitsui ignored the rain and stopped in front of the clinic door. He knocked and entered. He found Yaone getting ready to leave, a bandage on her rosy cheek. Her lips were a bit bruised and she had a fixed glare in her eyes.  
  
"Yaone-san?" He asked and caused the girl to look up at him. Her black eyes hit him like a slap on the face. He had to take a step back because of the glare that was being projected. "Umm - I - I wanted to apologize."  
  
"Really?" Yaone asked, grabbing her book bag. "Well you're wasting your time. Good night." She walked past Mitsui and out of the door.  
  
Mitsui was shocked. Whenever he apologized to a girl, they'd usually accept it and blush cutely at the same time. What did Yaone just do? Did she just walk out on him? "Yaone-san!" He called out, running after her.  
  
"What?" Yaone asked, turning around sharply to face Mitsui.  
  
"You're not walking out in the rain are you?" He asked.  
  
"Yes I am. What is it to you? I doubt you even care since aiming rubberized orange balls to people's faces seems to be your specialty. Care to give me anything else other than a bruised lip and face?" She inquired sarcastically.  
  
"Hey! I said I was sorry." Mitsui said, his patience running dry.  
  
"And I told you that you're wasting your time." Yaone calmly retorted.  
  
"At least let me walk you home with my umbrella." Mitsui said.  
  
"No thank you. I have no desire to waste my time with a violent man. Good night, Sempai." She said and turned her heel, heading towards the school's front gate.  
  
Mitsui watched as she broke in to a run in the rain. Her voice had been clear, deep and filled with wisdom. Mitsui had liked the girl's boldness and it turned him on. Shrugging, he opened his umbrella and headed for home. That night, as he tried to get some sleep, Yaone's words echoed in his ears. I have no desire to waste my time with a violent man.  
  
"Violent huh?" He said and smiled, turning to his side so that he could see the remains of Yaone's broken glasses. "Yaone Tatsumi. Why didn't I notice you before?"  
  
*  
  
Four days passed since the incident in the gym. Everyone was doing their best. Mitsui, however, kept darting glances at the gym doors and occasionally would space out. He got taunted by Miyagi and Sakuragi, but this went ignored.  
  
"Sempai?" Ayako asked.  
  
"Huh?" Mitsui turned as he finished running his fingers through his cropped hair.  
  
"Are you all right?" Ayako inquired, an eyebrow arched.  
  
"Yes. Why shouldn't I be?" Mitsui asked, blinking.  
  
"Because you've been looking at the gym doors too often. Are you waiting for someone?" Ayako inquired, a smile slowly making its way to her lips. Mitsui felt heat rush up to his ears and face. "Oh! Mitsui-sempai likes someone?" Ayako teased.  
  
"Urusai." Mitsui mumbled and turned even redder. "What nonsense you're talking Ayako-san?"  
  
Ayako shrugged. "Anyway, I've got to sort out some things. Yaone-chan should be coming in a few minutes." Mitsui felt his breath catch in his throat. Ayako saw this and took note of how Mitsui turned even redder. "Ah! I get it!"  
  
"I'm going. I've got work to do." Mitsui said quickly and picked up his gym bag and headed for the exit. The door slid open from his grip and there he found Yaone standing. Yaone's hair was tied up in a high pony tail now and although she looked like a normal school girl, something about her attracted the shooting guard's attention. Their gaze held for a moment, before Yaone's eyes narrowed and she walked passed him and joined Ayako.  
  
Mitsui heard greetings between the two girls and their laughter. He sighed and stepped out of the gym and decided to go to his part time job as a bar tender. He needed the cash to help support himself.  
  
In four days they would be playing Ryonan. And he wanted Yaone to cheer for him in the bleachers. He smiled at the night sky with determination glowing in his eyes. "I'll make you my girl. One way or the other."  
  
*  
  
On his first day, Mitsui approached Yaone in the library where she helped the librarian. "Yo, Yaone-san!"  
  
"Oh. You again. What now?" She asked coldly.  
  
"Hey, can't a guy greet a pretty girl once in a while?" He asked, giving her a cheeky grin.  
  
"Get outta here." She said and shook her head as she picked up a pile of books from the desk and began to put them in their proper places. The library was quite empty.  
  
"Do you hate me that much?" Mitsui asked, faking a pained look.  
  
Yaone threw him a deadly glare. "I despise you. Go away." She said each word as if they dripped with venom.  
  
Mitsui shrugged. "But why?"  
  
Yaone slammed the books down. "Excuse me, Sempai! But is there anything you want to read? Like perhaps the dictionary?"  
  
Mitsui tilted his head. "The dictionary? Why would I want to read such a boring thing?"  
  
"So that you can actually look up what 'go away' means and actually make yourself do it! That's why!" Yaone gathered the books again and went to the next shelf and placed an encyclopedia on the shelf.  
  
"I want to apologize." Mitsui said.  
  
"I told you four days ago, you're wasting your time. Go away." Yaone said again, rolling her eyes when Mitsui still followed her.  
  
"Why are you pushing me away?" Mitsui asked, now looking serious.  
  
"Why are you following me?" Yaone replied with a question.  
  
"Because I like you." Mitsui said without hesitation.  
  
Yaone placed the last book in the shelf. "That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got work to do." Her face was expressionless.  
  
"No can do." Mitsui said, shrugging.  
  
"You're getting on my nerves." Yaone said.  
  
"I'll prove that I like you." Mitsui provoked.  
  
"I am not interested. I'm sure that there are more girls out there that would enjoy your oh-so-wonderful pestering. I'm telling you one more time. Go away." Yaone said.  
  
"As you wish, princess." Mitsui took one step close to her and pinned her on one of the library shelves. He watched as Yaone's eyes widened with sheer horror. He placed a lip-bruising kiss on Yaone's pink lips for about five seconds before taking a step back and waving. "Bye princess."  
  
Yaone was left there staring after him.  
  
*  
  
It was Mitsui's second day. He had dreamed of Yaone's lips the entire night. He's learned an awful lot about the girl. She was staying that day after school practicing in the music room. She played the piano. She enjoyed ice cream and had a job at a daycare center during Saturdays and Sundays. All this because of Ayako. Somehow, the scene of him kissing Yaone in the library had gone public and everyone was wondering why the shooting guard preferred such a plain and normal girl when there were tones of attractive and desiring ones.  
  
After practice that day, Mitsui padded to the music room. It was raining again that evening. Mitsui could hear the soft music of the piano being played from down the hall. He was approaching the music room fast when the school lights flickered.  
  
"Oh no. A power cut is gonna come soon." He mumbled. Just as he took another step forward, the power went out. He sighed and felt his way to the music room, where music still continued to drift. A distant clap of thunder echoed in the sky and Mitsui swore that the music faltered a bit. He smiled. Someone seems to hate lightning. This is going to well for him.  
  
He stepped in to the music room and found Yaone stop playing. "Who's there?" She asked.  
  
"It's me princess." He replied.  
  
"I'm going home." She stood up and gathered her things and stepped out of the room.  
  
"Hey come on. I wanted to listen to you play." Mitsui held her wrist.  
  
"Look, I'm going to count one to three. If you don't let go of me, you'll be sorry." Mitsui was unmoved by this. "One." He still held on." Two." He grinned. "Three." Yaone's eyes narrowed and she raised her foot. She brought it down on Mitsui's toes as hard as she can. Mitsui gave out a cry and began hopping about clutching his beloved foot. "I told you, but you wouldn't listen." She left the room, leaving the poor shooting guard jumping about in the room to ease the pain. As she stepped out, she stopped dead in her tracks as lightning flashed.  
  
"Yaone-san! Wait!" Mitsui recovered and went after the girl. "Let me walk you home. There's lightning you know."  
  
"So what?" Yaone demanded. "Lightning is nothing but electrons colliding in the sky. I'm supposed to be affected by your words? For your information, Mr.-I-think-I'm-so-hot-and-handsome, I do not need help from you. So you can go home. I can manage by myself!"  
  
Lightning flashed and it was followed by a loud boom. Yaone jumped and hugged herself. "You were saying?" Mitsui inquired, and eyebrow rose.  
  
"Look, lightning happens to be one of the three things that I hate in this world!" She said, composing herself.  
  
"Yeah? And what are the other two?" Mitsui asked.  
  
"Bugs and Mitsui Hisashi!" She said, and Mitsui blinked in surprise. She turned to leave the building, leaving Mitsui watch her as she disappeared.  
  
"What a girl." He said and again, he went in to a sleepless night, thinking and dreaming about Yaone. He just wondered how it would feel to have her wrapped around him.  
  
*  
  
It was his third day and things are not working. He needed to get Yaone. It was Friday and he really was not getting any sleep anymore. He made a firm decision. He was going to pick up Yaone from her house and walk her to school.  
  
Now, there he was standing in front of her doorway. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A man with neatly combed brown hair and blue eyes answered the door.  
  
"Yes?" He inquired.  
  
"Good morning. Is Yaone there?" He asked, giving him a smile.  
  
"Yes she is. Who do I tell her you are?" the man asked with a smile.  
  
"Hisashi Mitsui, sir." He gave the older man a grin. "I'm a close friend."  
  
The man smiled. "Come in, Mitsui-kun." He opened the door wider as Mitsui stepped in to the warm house. Tatsumi was wearing a black suit and had glasses hiding his blue eyes. "Breakfast Mitsui-kun?"  
  
"Oh no thank you." Mitsui said politely with a grin. "I already ate."  
  
"Then have a seat please." Tatsumi led him to the living room in which its interior design had matched that of the sky. Tatsumi disappeared around the corner and Mitsui could hear his baritone voice. "Yaone! Your friend is here to pick you up for school." Footsteps rushing down could be heard.  
  
"Huh? But I didn't - papa stop joking!" Yaone said.  
  
"But he's out in the living room, Yaone. Go on. Don't keep him waiting." Tatsumi said.  
  
"But papa, I really did -" Yaone walked in to the living room and Mitsui chose this time to stand up and greet her.  
  
"Yo!" He said, a hand raised.  
  
"You!" Yaone pointed at him and stomped her right foot. "What are you doing here? I never asked you to come pick me up! What are you doing here?" Mitsui's eyebrows wiggled and Yaone gritted her teeth. "Good day papa! Mitsui and I are going to school. Take care." She said, her eyes not leaving Mitsui's lithe form for one minute.  
  
"Bye sir! Nice meeting you!" Mitsui waved at Tatsumi who smiled and waved back as Yaone shoved Mitsui out of her front door. Once they were outside, Yaone punched Mitsui in the guts, causing the shooting guard to double back for a while before recovering a few seconds later and grin again. Her punch was not very hard. He's suffered harder ones before, so it was nothing.  
  
"You've got nerve you annoying cow!" Yaone snapped.  
  
"What? I wanted to walk you to school." Mitsui reasoned. "And we are going now." He took her hand and held it firmly. Yaone fought to get free, but just couldn't. "Let's go, princess."  
  
Yaone would try to break free when walking, but just couldn't. "Let go of me, damnit!"  
  
"Hey!" Mitsui said, stopping and pulling her to a dark corner of the street. "Why do you hate so much?"  
  
"Because I don't like you! I really don't! What part of I don't like you does your brain refuse to process?" Yaone asked in despair. Her dark eyes hardened. "I'm sorry, sempai." She said coldly. "But I really am not interested. So can you just drop it? Really, I'm sick and tired of this. I don't like you and it remains that way."  
  
Mitsui's eyes clouded with burning fire that could only be seen when he's been crushed on the court and he's hungry to be dominant and the top once again. "What's the reason?"  
  
"What?" Yaone asked, trying to jerk her hand free, but not succeeding.  
  
"What's the reason why you don't like me?" Mitsui asked. "Have I offended you in any way? I apologized for what happened to your face, you just refuse to accept it. So is that it? That's the grudge?"  
  
Yaone pushed her glasses back up with her free hand. "You wanna know?" She challenged. "You're arrogant! You expect everything to just fall your way and go with your tide. Any girl would love to have everything done your way, but I don't! I'm different! I dislike arrogant behaviors. I dislike pestering boys, i.e. you. Happy now?"  
  
"Then why?" Mitsui asked leaning closer.  
  
"I just don't like you." Yaone said finally and looked at him with an expressionless face. Mitsui loosened his grip on her hand for while before completely dropping it. "Good day, Sempai." She said and turned away, joining the flock of students heading for Shohoku high.  
  
Mitsui leaned against the wall and smiled bitterly. "That's not a good reason."  
  
*  
  
  
  
Mitsui tripped on his feet and landed hard on the floor. "Damn." He cursed and shook his head. He was getting a headache. "Shit." He cursed and rubbed his temples. It was his fourth day and he needed to focus on his game with Ryonan. He getting a migraine is not really helping things a lot.  
  
"Mitsui-kun?" Kogure asked, patting him on the shoulder.  
  
"Fucking migraine. I need sleep." Mitsui said and stood up shakily and brought a hand up to his head. Another reason for the damn pain was that Anzai was not going to be with them the next day for their match, and that sent shivers down Mitsui's spine.  
  
"Why are you not getting any sleep?" Kogure asked, concerned.  
  
Mitsui thought of the nights he spent awake thinking of Yaone. He blamed himself for his suffering now. "I have no idea. Damn, it kills."  
  
"Come on. I'll drop you home." Kogure said and escorted Mitsui out of the court and in to the locker rooms where both boys took quick showers and changed in to their uniform. They left the school compound and set their destinations to Mitsui's house. It was a quiet walk, and none of the two attempted to make small talk. They finally reached Mitsui's house and that was the time Kogure chose to speak. "Please try to get some sleep. Take an aspirin or two."  
  
"Yeah." Mitsui mumbled wincing as he got another attack of the dull pain. "Thanks Kogure."  
  
"Good night Mitsui-kun." Kogure went on his way to his house.  
  
Mitsui headed for his house and bolted the door. He lived alone, away from his parent's grasp in Tokyo. He chose Kanagawa, a nice, quiet and safe place. He headed straight for his kitchen, swallowed three aspirins and brushed his teeth. He padded to his room and collapsed on his bed, and immediately he fell asleep.  
  
He did not exactly know what gave him the caffeine kick when his eyes met the wall clock. He jumped so high that it could rival Sakuragi's rebound jumps on the court. He rushed to his closet, dug out his Shohoku track pants and jacket. He stepped in to the shower, turning the scalding cold tap on and took a shower so fast, that it looked as if he just stepped in and allowed the water to fall on his for mere seconds. He pulled on his black silky soft boxers, then his jersey, then finally a white t-shirt and his Shohoku track pants and jacket. He found his Converse red sports bag lying in the corner of his room and he began to stuff his towels, shampoo, hair brush, deo, extra t-shirts and his wallet and money.  
  
He hurriedly pulled his shoes on and rushed down to his kitchen to grab the nearest edible thing his hand touched. It turned out to be a bar of Hershey's black chocolate. Not really bothered, he rushed out of the house, amazingly not forgetting to lock the doors and headed to the astrodome where they would be playing against Ryonan. He reached the place in record time, the part where he nearly ran in to a car, a lamp post, several people and a stray cat did not really stop him from reaching the place just on time.  
  
"Mitchy?" Sakuragi asked tilting his head to once side as he eyed the shooting guard's looks. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Oh please! Spare me the torture Sakuragi. Just this once." Mitsui waved his hand and pulled the jacket off. He flopped on the ground and unwrapped his Hershey bar.  
  
"Umm -" Miyagi watched as Mitsui sank his teeth on to the chocolate.  
  
"Mitsui-san?" Mitsui looked up, chewing. "Chocolate before the game?"  
  
"I over slept and did not eat breakfast." He answered. "Want some?" He offered. Miyagi smiled and happily took chunk.  
  
"Me too!" Sakuragi said and took some off the bar as well.  
  
"And there goes my breakfast." Mitsui sighed as he crumpled the wrapper and threw it in the bin nearby. "So what's what?"  
  
Akagi began to explain things. Mitsui turned to look at Ryonan's number 6. He was going to guard him first.  
  
The game began.  
  
*  
  
About six minutes to the end of the second half, Mitsui was beginning to see doubles. He attempted to shoot a three pointer, but the ring suddenly doubled before his eyes and he ended up not shooting. He was getting very annoyed now. He had three fouls and Rukawa already called him a part of the 'Foul Army'. One thing he hates, it's cheeky freshmen. Rukawa was on the top of his list.  
  
Sendoh was attacking again, and everyone was rushing to defend their basket. He struggled hard to make it in time, to block Ikegami, Koshino or anybody from the opposing team.  
  
"Help him, Mitsui!" Kogure cried out, and Mitsui did not really know what he was on about. When he heard a loud eruption of cheers, he knew that Ryonan scored. He felt angry, he felt sick, he felt tired, he felt defeated. His legs began to feel like jelly and he finally lost his balance, the one thing he's been trying to maintain and hit the ground face forward.  
  
"Mitchy!"  
  
"Mitsui!"  
  
"Mitsui-san!"  
  
"Mitsui-sempai!"  
  
It was all a blur. He could hear nothing, he could feel nothing, and he could sense nothing. All he knew was that he was so tired and he was defeated.  
  
*  
  
Mitsui stared at the two cans of energy drinks in front of him. He picked up the first one, but dropped it, causing the can to roll noisily a few feet away from him. "Che." He mumbled in annoyance and reached out for the second one. He struggled to open the darn thing, but his fingers wouldn't function properly. When he did get it open, he found it difficult to breathe. Sadness crept up his soul, as the towel on his neck fell on the floor. "Why? Why did I waste so much time?" He said in silent defeat, as tears ran down his cheeks. He remembered his gangster days, and was angry. He emptied the can in his hand in one gulp and set it aside, covering his head with his arms.  
  
"So that's it?"  
  
Mitsui's head snapped up. Yaone was standing before him, holding an unopened can of energy drink - the one that rolled away from him. "Yaone- san." He mumbled, staring up at her. She was in her Shohoku uniform, without the blazer, her hair in its pigtail, her glasses shining as she looked down upon him.  
  
"That's it? You're going to sit there and feel sorry or yourself?" She asked her face free from any emotion. Mitsui said nothing, but only looked at his side, at some invisible spot on the tiled stairs. "That's not the Mitsui Hisashi I know." Yaone opened the can in her hands and handed it to Mitsui who took it and began to stare at it as if it was the most amazing thing in the face of the earth. "The Mitsui Hisashi I know would be nothing else but a persistent arrogant senior, who would stop at nothing to get everything done his way." Yaone took the fallen towel and placed it around Mitsui's neck. "Too bad. I was kind of enjoying seeing that arrogant senior put up such wonderful play." She shrugged and patted his shoulder before turning to leave.  
  
Mitsui stared after her disappearing figure from the exit of astrodome. He knew he couldn't play anymore, his body refuse to let him so. But that did not mean that he could not encourage his teammates. He drained the can of energy drink he had in his hand and got up to return to watch the game.  
  
It was the only thing he could do now. If he can't put up fine play anymore, he would make his teammates do so.  
  
*  
  
  
  
Victory had never tasted sweeter before. Mitsui had fallen asleep in his math, physics, English and history classes because he still did not get over his fatigue. He felt a little wobbly when he was walking to school that morning and he had no eaten breakfast, simply because there was nothing to eat. Miyagi had asked him if he actually ate something and he merely said no.  
  
He needed peace. He needed to clear his mind. They celebrated their victory in Anzai's hospital room the day before and he had never felt so much happier. The old man's laughter made everybody laugh and smile with great happiness - hell even Rukawa. Despite the desperate cries of the nurses, they continued to celebrate, and it drained his energy even more.  
  
When he heard the bell, he got up and headed for the gates of the school. He needed caffeine and a large amount of it. He could hardly keep his eyes open. He entered a coffee shop right beside the school called 'Beans'. It was a very strange name for such a cute place, but it did not really matter. It went smoothly with their sales and served the finest hot drinks anyone could ask for. He ordered a large cup of black coffee, without sugar. He waited in a single booth in the corner. Placing his head down, he remembered Yaone's words. It relit something in him - ignoring the fact that the choice of words were quite harsh, nevertheless, it motivated the shooting guard.  
  
"You want waffles to go with that?"  
  
Mitsui lifted his head up to find his coffee before him. He didn't really care what the waitress said, and waved his hand. "No thanks. This will do just fine."  
  
"I'm giving it to you anyway. Ayako-san's friend - Miyagi-kun - says that you did not eat breakfast." Mitsui blinked and looked up to find Yaone standing with a tray in hand. She wore an apron over her uniform. "Well, the boy finally looks up to the speaker. You should get an award."  
  
Mitsui looked at the wonderful steaming Belgian waffles in front of him, coated with chocolate syrup. "Umm - "  
  
"It's on me." She waved her hand and turned to get back to work. "Think of it as a reward for good play." She disappeared behind the counter.  
  
Mitsui smiled and lifted a fork to eat his waffles. Who would let something as good as this pass when it came for free? Surely not him. He ate with delight, drank his coffee and waited till Yaone came out. She did come out to serve two students in the booth behind him cappuccino and that's when he called her.  
  
"Why is the meanie being nice to me?" He asked, a grin on his face.  
  
"Why is the arrogant senior still acting like a total ass?" She retorted, taking her apron off. Mitsui shrugged. "You annoy me to no end."  
  
"That's why you love me." Mitsui said, standing up and waving at her. "See ya, Yaone-san." He left the café with a full tummy and a big cheeky smile on his face. Yup, life was bliss when you have someone loving you.  
  
*  
  
Mitsui had scribbled a note and handed it to Ayako. "Give it to Yaone-san please."  
  
"Oh? Someone is finally going to make his first move?" Mitsui flushed a bit at Ayako's words but sighed. "Don't worry. She'll get it by tonight."  
  
An hour after practice, Mitsui headed for the empty park. He sat under the Sakura tree and laid his back on the cool, fresh green grass. He was waiting for Yaone, and he had a feeling that the girl would show up. His note said that he would be waiting for her at the Sakura Park at eight. He did not really care if he fell asleep in the empty park. It was Saturday the next day, and the breeze was very welcoming. He closed his eyes for a while, and he fell in to a deep sleep.  
  
*  
  
Mitsui felt something warm around his bare arms. He had been wearing his red jersey and his school pants, since he forgot to bring an extra shirt. Now something covered those arms. He opened his eyes and was met by the beautiful sight of the starry sky.  
  
"Well, well!" Mitsui looked up and found Yaone sitting above his head, leaning against the bark of the Sakura tree, a book in hand. "You tell me to come here and I'm met by a sleeping senior. Very nice, Mitsui-sempai."  
  
Mitsui saw that her blazer was covering his arms. "How long have you been waiting?" He asked, sitting up a bit.  
  
"About an hour and a half." She said, pushing her glasses up as she snapped her book close. "Now that you're awake, what exactly did you want me to come here for? And at this unacceptable hour?" Mitsui took her blazer and covered himself till his neck. He lay his head on her thighs and closed his eyes. "What are you doing?" She demanded, and dropped her book.  
  
"I wanted to say thank you. What you said to me then, when I was feeling sorry for myself, it really gave me enough strength to face the entire team again. Though they stung a bit, but it motivated me." He opened his eyes to find surprised dark ones. "I'm not that arrogant you know?"  
  
"Why didn't you just tell me this when you were at the café?" She asked, a bit curious, with a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks.  
  
"I don't know." Mitsui shrugged and closed his eyes. "I guess I wanted heaven to witness this little words of appreciation."  
  
"You're a hopeless romantic sap." Yaone said, shaking her head and picking up her book. "You owe me waffles."  
  
Mitsui looked up at her with surprise. "I thought it was your treat."  
  
"You're invading my space. I changed my mind." She said and continued to read her book. "Am I going to be your pillow or what?"  
  
"It's very comfy." Mitsui commented and pushed the book away. He reached out for her glasses and took a look at it. "Like I thought, they're not prescribed." Yaone's flush deepened. "Why hide your pretty eyes when everyone could just drown in them?" He asked, voice a bit husky, as he sat up and leaned over to take a closer look of the endless pools of black that shone silver under the stars. "I really like you. Something about you, it's different."  
  
Yaone narrowed her eyes and pushed Mitsui off. "It's getting late sempai. Really, my father will be very worried. Good night."  
  
Mitsui grabbed her wrist before she could get away. He stood up and wrapped both arms around her, enveloping her in a hug. "Answer me this question." Yaone struggled to break free, but Mitsui pinned her on the bark of the Sakura tree. "Why do you push me away?"  
  
"I'm going to give you a very hard slap if you don't let go of me now!" Yaone hissed. "Coming here was mistake. I should have gone home."  
  
"But you didn't." Mitsui pointed out. "You actually stayed with me for an hour and a half while I was napping. You did show up instead of going straight home." He touched his forehead to Yaone's. "Why are you pushing me away? Give me a good answer and I'll leave you alone."  
  
Yaone tried to look away, but couldn't. Mitsui's blue eyes were holding her entire soul prisoner. "I don't know." She said. "I don't want to get involved in a relationship. Not anymore." The sadness in her voice made Mitsui inch back a bit. "I'm sorry if I was rude."  
  
Mitsui tilted her face up. "You always gave me the cold shoulder. The past doesn't matter. The future does."  
  
Yaone smiled for once since they met. "I have to go. Take care, Mitsui- sempai."  
  
Mitsui let her go. But the feel of holding her in his arms kept on gnawing at him. He couldn't get rid of the secured and loving feeling he got when he held her. He wanted to feel it again.  
  
He just wished that there was something he could do to make Yaone return his feelings.  
  
*  
  
A few days passed and Mitsui was standing by the harbor. He was watching the sun go down. They had a practice game against one of the schools outside their district. Jonnah was it? He could not remember the name. He sighed as the ball of fire began to disappear down the sky. He was so busy watching the ball of fire that he forgot someone had taken his left hand.  
  
"Ayako tells me that you have a match tomorrow." Mitsui entwined his fingers with Yaone's.  
  
"Yaone-san." He said, enjoying the warm feeling he got when he held her dainty hand.  
  
"I'd love to watch the match, but I can't get off my part time job." She reached out behind her neck and took out a silver necklace that had a pendant of a tiger. "So, I'll just have to rely on this to send me vibes on how you guys play." Mitsui allowed her to reach behind his neck and fasten the necklace. "Do your best. Don't give up. It's what the future matters, not the past."  
  
Mitsui smiled and stared at the pendant. "Thank you, Yaone-san." Yaone tiptoed and gave him a very shy kiss on the lips.  
  
"Good luck." She waved and turned to leave.  
  
Mitsui touched his lips and smiled. It was good to know that there will be someone waiting for him when he came back home.  
  
Life was definitely bliss when you love someone. It's even more bliss when that person loved you back.  
  
OWARI  
  
Erm - I was debating whether to make it a lemon, but nah! I find this quite alright. 'Cleaning up my closet' - I chose this title because Eminem's lyrics kinda' matches Yaone's personality. Though of course, it's not addressed to a mother. Cleaning up my closet - metaphorically translated in to 'sorting out myself'. So there!  
  
Hope tis okay. 


End file.
